It featured Mickey Mouse, and his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, and it was a black and white film. While silent films had been the warm up until this time, Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon to have a corresponding soundtrack, and to feature talking characters. It was such a new concept that people thought he was crazy to try and make it. Steamboat Willie, was such a success that even the largest movie theatre in the world—The Roxy in New York City-showed it 2 weeks after its premier. (moma.org) Walt became so successful because of this cartoon that in later years, he said, I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing-that it was all started by a mouse.”
It featured Mickey Mouse, and his girlfriend Minnie Mouse, and it was a black and white film. While silent films had been the warm up until this time, Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon to have a corresponding soundtrack, and to feature talking characters. It was such a new concept that people thought he was crazy to try and make it. Steamboat Willie, was such a success that even the largest movie theatre in the world—The Roxy in New York City-showed it 2 weeks after its premier. (moma.org) Walt became so successful because of this cartoon that in later years, he said, I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing-that it was all started by a mouse.”